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Voting got underway this morning in the most widely anticipated midterm election in years.

A sharp rise in absentee balloting compared to the last midterm could signal higher voter turnout today than in a typical nonpresidential federal election.

Voters requested more than 75 percent more absentee ballots in each of seven Northeast Pennsylvania counties with the numbers more than double 2014 in Pike and Wayne counties.

G. Terry Madonna, Ph.D., political analyst and polling director at Franklin & Marshall College, said the surge in absentee balloting has to do with President Donald Trump.

“This midterm, more than any in modern history, is ... a referendum on Donald Trump,” Madonna said. “It’s Democrats turning out in large numbers to vote against him to send a message. They don’t like the policies. They don’t like his governing style. They don’t like his personality. Republicans, conversely, (are) turning out because they do like him.”

Pennsylvania voters will choose a governor, a U.S. senator, U.S. House members and state representatives and senators.

Midterm elections are the even-numbered year elections when voters don’t choose a president. Voters may cast absentee ballots in cases of sickness, disability or absence from their voting districts.

The exact number of ballots actually cast remains uncertain because some votes might still be in the mail. Absentee ballots must be postmarked Friday or earlier.

In Lackawanna County, the percentage of absentee ballots requested is up 78.3 percent from the 2014 midterm election — and that’s the lowest percentage increase of the seven Northeast Pennsylvania counties. The other counties are Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming.

The numbers aren’t that far from 2016, the last presidential election, when 3,978 Democrats sought absentee ballots, 1,988 Republicans and 6,386 overall.

In 2014, 41.3 percent of Lackawanna County voters cast ballots. In 2016, it was 70.9 percent.

If the absentee ballots are any indicator, turnout today should significantly surpass 2014, though it probably won’t reach 2016 turnout. In 2010, when Tea Party activism spurred many Republicans into opposing Democrats tied to President Barack Obama, turnout hit 46.9 percent.

“Overall, that’s (absentees are) one of the signs that we’ll exceed by far the 41 percent of the voters who turned out in our state in 2014,” Madonna said. “We could be looking at somewhere between 45 and 50 percent turnout (statewide). And remember, many places don’t have competitive races that the voters care about.”

Lackawanna County Republican Party chairman Lance Stange Jr. acknowledged a sharp divide in opinion over Trump contributed significantly to the absentee surge.

“I also think there are bigger issues at stake as well,” Stange said. For Republicans, “I think people know that if they support President Trump, they need to go out and vote for people who support his policies.”

The Lackawanna County Republican Party also made a strong effort to identify voters who can’t get to their polling places on Election Day and get them absentee voting applications, Stange said. Lackawanna County Democratic Chairman Chris Patrick said Democrats indicated Trump is motivating voters, but Democrats also worked hard on absentees.

“In Pennsylvania, it wasn’t Republicans who elected Trump, it was Democrats,” Patrick said, noting the defections of many Democrats to the president. “I think the Democrats have come back and said, ‘We’re not going to have this (behavior by the president).’”

Patrick said he thinks even forecasted rain won’t stop people from voting today.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek said expect rain, heavy at times, to last from morning into early afternoon with a high of 62 and perhaps gusty winds and thunder. By late afternoon, when many people vote on their way home from work, the weather should dry up and be cool, he said.

Contact the writer:

bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com;

570-348-9147;

@BorysBlogTT on Twitter

United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania will offer voters a free ride to their polling places today between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Anyone interested should call 570-606-1268 to schedule a ride. If leaving a voicemail, don’t forget to provide a name, phone number and proposed pickup time.

Ride-sharing services Uber and Lyft also are offering free or discounted rides to polling places today through their apps.

The Greater Scranton YMCA will host an Election Day celebration today featuring free food, drinks, giveaways and entertainment from 3 to 7 p.m. The event at 706 N. Blakely St., Dunmore, is being held in conjunction with #VoteTogether, a national organization that celebrates voting. The site, which is a polling place, also will offer free child-watching services while parents vote. Registration is not required.

— STAFF REPORT

Problem at the polls?

Polls open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For problems voting or to report questionable practices, call:

Lackawanna County: 570-963-6737

Luzerne County: 570-825-1715

Monroe County: 570-517-3165

Pike County: 570-296-3426

Susquehanna County: 570-278-6697

Wayne County: 570-253-5978

Wyoming County: 570-996-2224

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